Tom Yam Stingray and Mini Soon Kueh

Nowadays I find it hard to write out an interesting topic to start off my post. You must be going "Forget about the chit chat", go straight to the food!". Well, if I do that, it would be just like reading an amateur's cookbook. :-P I guess the purpose of starting a blog was to allow me to remember what was going on during that time when I put up that particular post. And for this week....I would think it's my elder daughter's exam. Seriously speaking, their education standard has risen so high! The stuff they study in just K2 now are probably what I learn in Primary 2 or 3 last time. '''-_- Now it's still relatively manageable for them...but I cannot imagine what they will be going through as they get into higher Primary & Secondary levels, having to juggle extra curriculum activities as well. Being parents...you wish your kids to excel in their work and yet you don't want them to be under tremendous pressure. With all the external pressure, it's really hard on the kids nowadays to lead a more carefree childhood. :-( Sometimes I would find myself making this mistake too...pressuring my kids. :-( *bad mummy!* Well, blame it on the pressure-cooking, rat-race society we are in now. I just wish, not only me but everyone else, can strive a balance on the things we do and not having to suffer the side effects of bad management and poor decisions we make as we go along our life.

Okay, now let's get this post up before I run out of time! The first dish is my new favorite fish dish! (it rhymes!) It's Tom Yam Stingray....yummmy! I got this recipe from "Chef Phang's Popular Signature Dishes", AKA “彭师博精典招牌菜". I happen to see some fresh stingray selling at the wet market just a few days back. And it was a good thing I remembered this recipe that I can try out. This dish is definitely a keeper if you like tom yam flavor. It's gravy is spicy, tangy and hint of sweet ...it's like drinking tom yam soup. ;) OMG...I'm almost salivating when I'm typing this out!! Hahaha! Okay...here it is, the recipe:

Ingredients for Tom Yam Stingray:
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, skinned and cut into thin slices
3 tbsp Thai tom yam paste
3 thin slices of ginger
8 chilli padi, sliced thinly
3 pieces of kaffir lime leaf
2 stalk of lemongrass, remove external husk and sliced
600g stingray, cut into smaller pieces

Marinate:
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
250ml water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method:

• Heat up oil in wok and saute onion until fragrant. Add in tom yam paste and fry till aromatic.
• Add in the remaining ingredients, the seasoning and bring everything to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Lastly, add in lime juice and bring to boil again. Dish up and serve with steam rice.
  

Even my better half whom is not too fond of cooked fish (he prefers sashimi) said he likes it and can eat it again...soon. ;) Furthermore, it's so easy to cook this dish...just place everything and simmer! Highly recommended...try it today!

Next up is Mini Soon Kuehs. I LOVE soon kueh...even when I was a little girl. Somehow eating the soon kueh with sweet dark soy, the texture of the tender skin and flavorful turnip & dried shrimp filling, brings back so many fond memories of my childhood! I am sure you know what I mean...it's one of those food that you grew up eating, which you will never get tired of. But I have yet have the courage to make it until last night. It's almost like I might spoil a good memory or something, hahaha! Okay, I have to confess this kuehs are not up to standard, my standard that is. It's the skin I'm referring to. Somehow it did not have that "bouncy" texture that I like so much. Looks like I have to really put in some effort find the perfect recipe! So no recipe posting this time...will update you guys when I make it again with the perfect skin recipe. ;)
Don't get me wrong, but these are still good. Justification? My little daughter ate 4 in a row just half an hour after her big dinner! I was super happy because there's someone in the family that enjoys this kueh as much as I do, haha! What's best, it's made by me. ;) So I think I still pass the test this time. ;)Okay before I sign off, I'll show you a snap short of the "perfect bite" with some chili and sweet dark soy....yumm-o!! Have a good day!